Residents Remember Robin Birrittella

The death of Robin (Bucci) Birrittella on August 14 caused an unprecedented outpouring of support from the community over the past few days. 

Birrittella, a life-long Tarrytown resident, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. She was only 51.

Friends and acquaintances said that Birrittella would be fondly remembered for her vitality, positive attitude, and unending support for her family and the community. 

"She was just so strong through this, she was an inspiration," said JoAnne Murray, a co-president for the Chamber of Commerce. "I only knew about it (her sickness) for a couple of years, but when I would see her, she had that smile on her face and she was as upbeat as she could be... She's truly an icon."

Many in the community came out to pay their respects to the woman described as a "caring, outgoing person, who never had a bad word to say about anyone."

Three wakes held at Coffey Funeral Home on Monday and Tuesday resulted in lines of mourners extending beyond Key Bank at the corner of Dixon Street and North Broadway.

The support continued at Robin's funeral held on Wednesday. Tarrytown Police estimated that over 800 people attended the ceremony at Transfiguration Church, with only standing room available.

"I don't think Tarrytown or Sleepy Hollow has seen a showing of support like that," said Brian Doyle, owner of J.P. Doyle's. "It speaks volumes about Robin and the people she touched and the impact the Buccis and Birrittellas have in this community."

Doyle said he had fond memories of Robin, saying she genuinely cared about other people.

"The first thing she would ask is, "How's the family?" he said. "Robin always put others in front of her and it says a lot about her." 

Robin was also an upstanding member of the business community, working as a real estate broker. She had an 18-year career in the field, working at Prudential Rand Realty, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and John P Streb and Son prior to her most recent position at Legends Realty.

She earned numerous honors for her work; RISMedia voted her one the the top 500 Most Powerful Women in real estate and relocation. She also received several awards from the Westchester County Board of Realtors (WCBR).

More importantly though, Birrittella used her position to advocate for the community and to establish lasting bonds with people.

Robin leveraged her real estate expertise and found time to work on many village boards that deal, in part, with housing. She worked on the Village Hall Task Force in the 90s, was a member of the Moderate Income Housing Committee and was a member of the Architectural Review Board from 1998 to 2001. She worked with Mayor Drew Fixell for a year on the ARB.

"I knew her as a friend, and a mother to the friends of my children," Fixell said. "She was always a great presence. She was someone who was so much an integral part of the community."

As a final tribute to the village she dedicated herself to, Robin's family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory be made to the Tarrytown Beautification Foundation.

Robin's dedication to her family was more than apparent to many. She was the president of the Washington Irving School PTA and was very active in her three children's school activities. She could also be seen walking the streets of the villages with her husband Mitch.

Robin had pursuits of her own as well. She was an avid tennis player at the Tarry Crest Swimming and Tennis Club and played paddle tennis in Scarsdale. She also loved being a spectator – supporting her family in sports and traveling to attend the events of her many nieces and nephews.

"She was at everything," said Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns Superintendent Dr. Howard Smith. 

Smith said that meeting Robin was the first indication that he would like living in Tarrytown when he moved here over ten years ago. 

"She was actually the first person I met outside of the school board because she was the person I worked with to buy my own place in Tarrytown," he said. "I remember thinking, 'Wow if this is what people are like in this community, this was a good move to make'."

Smith said that Robin was the type of person who was very comfortable in her own skin, with a spirit that seemed unshakable and lasting.

"She obviously had very strong feelings about the community. At her age, to lose her is hard to fathom for all of us, " Smith said. "You had this sense that she would always be there, and it is hard to envision that's not the case."